Free AAA TripTik Travel Planner

The Bottom Line

AAA, the largest motor club in the world, provides free use of its online TripTik system, a valuable trip-planning tool.

Thanks to sophisticated mapping, users can get maps and directions even when they are unable to start with an exact address. Plus, they can pull up proprietary information on thousands of AAA-approved lodgings, which are inspected and rated annually.

Visit Their WebsiteYou will be automatically directed to the webpage of your nearest regional AAA office.

From there, click on "Travel," then choose "Directions" and "Get Directions" under that. You then should see a USA map. Once you enter your starting point and destination(s), the site will plot your route.

Pros

Free! Previously this service was exclusively available to AAA members

The most comprehensive routing service online and off

Directions are updated and more reliable than competitive services

Cons

Calculates cost of fuel for trip, but not tolls

Not compatible with in-car navigation systems

Cellphone map apps are competition and present real-time road info

First-time users may find the interface unwieldy (take the demo if you get confused)

Don't know an exact address? Use the drop down menu: It identifies locations of airports, attractions, colleges, hotels and more

Expert Review of Free AAA TripTik Travel Planner

I was an AAA member long before I owned a car. As a traveler who rented a car when I needed to go on a trip, I appreciated the AAA maps, tour books, customized paper TripTiks and hotel discounts that were among the benefits extended to the club's 50 million paying members.

(And I also liked the idea that if I broke down, membership provided a place to call that would tow me to the nearest gas station.)

Like many drivers, I'd come to rely on the Web, particularly Google, for maps and directions. I tried free sites such as MapQuest but never found them to be as reliable or offer in-depth information like AAA. Routes often turned out to be circuitous, and roads did not always connect where directions on those other sites said.

I've found the opposite to be true with the AAA TripTik. And now so can you, without paying the membership fee, which is still affordable. In addition to maps and driving directions within the U.S. and Canada, the free online tool has information on:

location and current fuel pricing information for 100,000+ U.S. gas stations

It will identify your location and the AAA region you are in. Then keystroke in the exact location that you are starting from and where you want to end up. Need to make several stops along the way? The TripTik can also map those routes and provide detailed directions to each destination.

Once you're satisfied with your customized AAA online travel planner, you can print it out with full route details or limit it to maps only. Additionally, you can email it to yourself as a PDF, inform anyone else involved in your journey and also post the trip's URL to Facebook or on Twitter.

Free AAA Apps

Keeping up with the times, AAA also offers free apps to Android/Google Play and iOS/iPhone users who are members of the organization. Although it claims, "AAA Mobile provides on-the-go access to AAA services including travel planning tools, discounts and rewards, and roadside assistance," many users left negative comments regarding the early versions of these apps.

Note: AAA's paper maps, tour books, customized paper TripTiks, hotel discounts and roadside assistance are still members-only benefits. The organization believes that as more and more Web users come to appreciate the value and reliability of the free AAA TripTik travel planner, they'll decide to join the not-for-profit corporation, which will enable it to provide even deeper discounts and benefits to members.